One of the most criticized and possibly under appreciated players over the past decade has announced he will be stepping away from football. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo announced that he would be stepping away from the game. ESPN is reporting that after only playing in five games this past season, it would be best for his health and his family. Last August during a preseason game, he suffered a compression fracture in his back that opened the door for the guy who took his job, Dak Prescott.
Romo won’t be disappearing from the spotlight, however, it was also announced that he would be taking Phil Simms’ job as broadcaster for CBS. He will be accompanied by veteran broadcaster Jim Nantz. He informed the team about his decision and owner Jerry Jones is expected to release the quarterback today. He will count as $10.7 million against the cap this season and $8.9 million next season.
Romo has had some brutal injuries in recent years. It started in 2013 when he underwent two back surgeries only to hurt his back once again the next season. In 2015, he missed seven games after suffering a broken collarbone in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles. To add insult to injury, in his second game back, he broke the collarbone once again. Romo said that even after all of these injuries his back was stronger than ever coming into last season. Unfortunately, this latest injury and losing his starting job in Dallas was just too much. Romo did have interest from other teams for starting jobs, including the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans.
Tony Romo: @DallasCowboys Legend. pic.twitter.com/oupZzV7YxX
— NFL (@NFL) April 4, 2017
He will never be appreciated for how good he was because everyone will always remember him for his fourth quarter turnovers. In reality, he is actually one of the greatest stories in NFL history. Going from an undrafted quarterback out of Eastern Illinois to the Cowboys’ team leader in passing yards and touchdown passes, beating out greats like Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman. His inability to get the team to the big game, however, was what blemishes his legacy.
